Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for The Secret Lives of Hoarders by Matt Paxton - Available

The Secret Lives of Hoarders

True Stories of Tackling Extreme Clutter

by Matt Paxton
Phaedra Hise
ebook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Read a sample Read a sample
1 of 1 copy available
On the front lines with extreme hoarders
The Secret Lives of Hoarders is much more than harrowing tales of attacking the ugliest, dirtiest, and most shocking hoarding cases in the country. It is a behind-the-scenes look at this hidden epidemic- what it means, how to recognize it before it gets out of hand, and how to deal with it.
Through his work with hundreds of clients in the worst circumstances- from the giant "rat's nest" that hid more than $13,000 in cash to a vast cache of cartoon pornography to twenty-five years' worth of unopened mail-Matt Paxton has learned to understand this disorder and his clients' impulses to collect, to speak the hoarders' language, and to reach out to them with compassion and concern while avoiding criticism and judgment. Most important, he guides compulsive hoarders successfully through every step of the clean-up and healing process.
The Secret Lives of Hoarders is an engrossing and sometimes unsettling look at extreme clutter but one that helps hoarders, their families, and their friends to find meaning in the chaos.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 3, 2011

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

      • ISBN: 9781101514887

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781101514887

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781101514887
      • File size: 2593 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      April 15, 2011

      With reverent curiosity, Paxton shares the stories of hoarders from a distinctive perspective.

      While digging himself out of the mess he made of his own life, the author, in a state of desperation, picked up a few cleaning jobs that lead him to an unexpected calling as a celebrated hoarding expert often featured on A&E's hit show Hoarders. After years of working with hoarders, the author writes, he finally "figured out how to make sense out of their world." He ushers readers into that world by sharing their stories. Take Margaret, who "had been hoarding so many years that her possessions had started to decompose at the bottom of her five foot piles," whose home and possessions were "chewed or peed on by her fifty or so dogs that had free run of the place." Paxton is quick to point out that he is not a therapist but works closely with social workers in an effort to assist individuals that are in some cases almost literally suffocating under their belongings and underlying tribulations. The author presents an easy-to-use scale that deviates from the National Study Group's standard measures of chronic disorganization, helping his crew, as well as the reader, understand the various stages of hoarding. He then gives examples via case studies ranging from low-level to advanced or life-threatening hoarders. No matter how disturbing the situation is, he treats each of his clients with total respect, emphasizing that compassion is key in helping someone dig their way out. 

      Delicately excavates the skeletons in the clutter.

       

      (COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading